Online Memory Intervention for Traumatic Brain Injury
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Age: 18 - 65
Sex: Any
Travel: May be covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Recruiting
Sponsor: Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?This study will examine the behavioural and neurophysiological efficacy and feasibility of an online spatial navigation intervention for improving memory and brain health in individuals who have sustained moderate-severe traumatic brain injury.
How does the Online Spatial Navigation Therapy differ from other treatments for traumatic brain injury?
Online Spatial Navigation Therapy is unique because it uses virtual reality to help improve memory and navigation skills by engaging the brain areas involved in spatial learning, like the hippocampus. This approach is different from traditional therapies as it provides an interactive and immersive environment that can enhance memory function in brain-damaged individuals.
12345Is the online memory intervention for traumatic brain injury safe for humans?
Research on virtual reality and online navigation training for brain injury suggests these interventions are generally safe, with studies showing improvements in memory and navigation skills without reporting significant safety concerns.
23456Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Online Memory Intervention for Traumatic Brain Injury?
Research shows that virtual reality navigation training can improve memory and navigation skills in people with brain injuries by activating brain areas involved in memory processing. Additionally, virtual reality interventions have been found to enhance neurocognitive performance in individuals with traumatic brain injury.
23456Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for individuals aged 18-55 who have had a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, confirmed by CT or MRI. Participants should be fluent in English, able to give consent (or have someone who can), and must live near Toronto for MRI access. They need basic computer skills and the ability to use at least one arm.Inclusion Criteria
I have been diagnosed with a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury recently.
I am between 18 and 55 years old.
Exclusion Criteria
I have been diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder.
I had a traumatic brain injury before turning 18.
I have been diagnosed with aphasia.
I have a neurological condition other than traumatic brain injury.
Participant Groups
The study tests an online program designed to improve memory through spatial navigation exercises versus educational videos. It aims to see if this method is effective and practical for those with traumatic brain injuries.
2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Spatial navigation interventionExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
Group II: Educational VideosActive Control1 Intervention
Find A Clinic Near You
Research locations nearbySelect from list below to view details:
Toronto Rehabilitation InstituteToronto, Canada
Loading ...
Who is running the clinical trial?
Toronto Rehabilitation InstituteLead Sponsor
Ontario Neurotrauma FoundationCollaborator
Centre for Aging and Brain Health InnovationCollaborator
References
Humans with traumatic brain injuries show place-learning deficits in computer-generated virtual space. [2008]Spatial learning and memory has been linked to the hippocampus and temporal lobes and though these areas are often damaged in traumatic brain injury (TBI), spatial learning deficits after TBI have not received much attention. In the present study, a virtual environment was used to challenge people with TBI to solve a task comparable to the Morris water maze, which in turn has been shown to be highly sensitive to hippocampal and frontal lobe dysfunction in laboratory animals. A regular computer monitor was used to present 12 participants with TBI and 12 age- and sex-matched comparison participants with a computer-generated, three-dimensional "virtual arena maze," consisting of a large round arena within a very large square room. Participants were required to learn the place of an invisible target on the floor of the room based solely on distal cues on the walls of the room. Eight of the 12 participants with moderate to severe TBI showed substantial place-learning deficits in comparison to the uninjured participants. Performance in the virtual environment correlated with self-reported frequency of wayfinding problems in everyday life and with scores on a test of episodic memory, the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Task. These data confirm that deficits in spatial learning and memory follow TBI, and suggest that the virtual arena maze may provide a new method for objectively assessing them.
Virtual navigation for memory rehabilitation in a traumatic brain injured patient. [2012]The use of 3D video games in memory rehabilitation has been explored very little. A virtual navigation task allows participants to encode the spatial layout of the virtual environment and activate areas involved in memory processing. We describe the rehabilitation of a 24-year-old man with traumatic brain injury presenting memory deficits, and evaluate the efficacy of a navigational training program measuring neuropsychological changes and fMRI modification cerebral activations. Memory improvement appears to be present both after navigational training and in follow-up testing. Furthermore, fMRI data suggest that this training may increase activation of the hippocampal and parahippocampal brain regions. The results suggest that intensive training in virtual navigational tasks may result in an enhancement of memory function in brain-damaged adults.
Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation. [2021]Topographical disorientation (TD) is a severe and persistent impairment of spatial orientation and navigation in familiar as well as new environments and a common consequence of brain damage. Virtual reality (VR) provides a new tool for the assessment and rehabilitation of TD. In VR training programs different degrees of active motor control over navigation may be implemented (i.e. more passive spatial navigation vs. more active). Increasing demands of active motor control may overload those visuo-spatial resources necessary for learning spatial orientation and navigation. In the present study we used a VR-based verbally-guided passive navigation training program to improve general spatial abilities in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation.
Navigation strategy training using virtual reality in six chronic stroke patients: A novel and explorative approach to the rehabilitation of navigation impairment. [2017]Recent studies have shown that navigation impairment is a common complaint after brain injury. Effective training programmes aiming to improve navigation ability in neurological patients are, however, scarce. The few reported programmes are merely focused on recalling specific routes rather than encouraging brain-damaged patients to use an alternative navigation strategy, applicable to any route. Our aim was therefore to investigate the feasibility of a (virtual reality) navigation training as a tool to instruct chronic stroke patients to adopt an alternative navigation strategy. Navigation ability was systematically assessed before the training. The training approach was then determined based on the individual pattern of navigation deficits of each patient. The use of virtual reality in the navigation strategy training in six middle-aged stroke patients was found to be highly feasible. Furthermore, five patients learned to (partially) apply an alternative navigation strategy in the virtual environment, suggesting that navigation strategies are mouldable rather than static. In the evaluation of their training experiences, the patients judged the training as valuable and proposed some suggestions for further improvement. The notion that the navigation strategy people use can be influenced after a short training procedure is a novel finding and initiates a direction for future studies.
The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Interventions for Improvement of Neurocognitive Performance After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review. [2022]To evaluate current evidence for the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) interventions in improving neurocognitive performance in individuals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Remotely delivered environmental enrichment intervention for traumatic brain injury: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. [2021]Individuals with moderate-severe traumatic brain injury (m-sTBI) experience progressive brain and behavioural declines in the chronic stages of injury. Longitudinal studies found that a majority of patients with m-sTBI exhibit significant hippocampal atrophy from 5 to 12 months post-injury, associated with decreased cognitive environmental enrichment (EE). Encouragingly, engaging in EE has been shown to lead to neural improvements, suggesting it is a promising avenue for offsetting hippocampal neurodegeneration in m-sTBI. Allocentric spatial navigation (ie, flexible, bird's eye view approach), is a good candidate for EE in m-sTBI because it is associated with hippocampal activation and reduced ageing-related volume loss. Efficacy of EE requires intensive daily training, prohibitive within most current health delivery systems. The present protocol is a novel, remotely delivered and self-administered intervention designed to harness principles from EE and allocentric spatial navigation to offset hippocampal atrophy and potentially improve hippocampal functions such as navigation and memory for patients with m-sTBI.